Building Me Up
by CayleeElizabeth
Summary: Caroline's having a bad day. Tag to 4x16. Steroline. Review?


**Building Me Up**

**A/N – Caroline's had a really shitty day. Review?**

Caroline's having a bad day and she's pretty sure it all started when Elena decided to come out of Damon's shower completely in the buff making her feel overdressed in her pink silk robe.

Her bad day only gets decidedly worse when Elena says she wants back on the cheer squad, literally take a bite out of the competition, then proceeds to step out of the catch circle when she's in midair forcing her to hit the mat because unlike _some people_, she's still trying to fool half the town into believing she's still human. And Elena's just _standing there _with her stupid blue ribbon and does a total bitch shrug and Caroline is forced to mentally count to 1,000 so she doesn't slap the bitch.

Elena decides to throw an impromptu keg party at the Salvatore residence and Caroline can't help but mentally chant _"You're in troubleeee" _cause Damon is totally going to flip when he comes home to this. And she has this brief moment when she thinks her day might be turning around because Stefan is actually smiling and joking and maybe even flirting with her a little. And God how long has she secretly wished for this exact scenario to happen? But of course Elena has to ruin it by putting her two cents in, two cents that nobody asked for and then proceed to vamp out on her mom and _oh hell no_ _bitch, you did not just touch my mom! _Shit just got real.

In a flash Elena is gone and Stefan looks concerned and Caroline wants blood, and _not_ the kind that's pre-packaged. Stefan gives her permission to snap Elena's neck and for a second she's like _'yes!' _but she really should have known better because Caroline has been nothing but sheltered for the past year, always the distraction in the war but never the soldier, and she's been caught more than once but is always told to run, not fight. So Elena ends up turning all Ninja Vamp and Caroline is just Vampire Barbie, and she always thought of herself as a BAMF but now she just feels like the weak victim that always needs to be saved. And when did their roles reverse?

Stefan's there, pulling her away from Elena. His strong arms wrapped around her and Caroline makes a mental note to keep track of how many times he's touched her today. He lightly touches her arm and murmurs her name but her ego is bruised and she is _not_ in the mood to be coddled right now. So she pulls her arm away and says _"Don't"_. He persists with his firm but gentle touch and she can hear Damon somewhere in the background calling Elena off, saying Barbie isn't worth it and she suddenly has a vision of herself as Barbie and Stefan as Ken living in Barbie's Dream House and she's baking cookies, and he's working on her pink Corvette and and they have hot plastic sex in the plastic elevator and the cookies get burnt but Stefan simply brushes her hair back (because it's never smooth and easily managed like Elena's) and kisses her nose and say's they'll make more.

She's pulled out of her daydream by Stefan's gentle tugging on her hand and wordlessly lets him lead her out of the woods. She's crying as quietly as she can but she knows he can hear her sniffles and can smell the salt from her tears but he doesn't say anything, only holds her hand a little tighter.

They're back at the boarding house and Caroline is almost pathetically (desperately) leaving Tyler another message and she's about ready to just write Elena off and cut her losses but Stefan is secretly or maybe not so secretly still in love with Elena and tells her that they can't give up and they seal their pact of alliance with a handshake. Caroline feels like this touch from Stefan doesn't actually count as a touch because _this_ touch feels hollow and almost cold so she decides not to count it with all the other touches she's received from him today.

She gets a text from Matt telling her to meet him at the Lockwood mansion and she lets herself think that maybe Tyler is there waiting for her. But she can't get inside and Matt has to invite her in and he hands her a letter that Caroline has to read three times before she finally gets it.

He's not coming back.

Matt pulls her into a hug and lightly runs his fingers through her blonde waves and gently rubs her back and she finally lets herself mourn her loss. Matt can feel his shirt become wet with her tears but does not let go until her sobs become whimpers and he pulls back just slightly and tucks a curl behind her ear and asks if she wants a drink.

They raid the Lockwood liquor cabinet and Matt starts a warm fire and Caroline curls up against him and they joke and laugh and talk about times when things were easier.

"I heard Hayley's back," Matt says when the alcohol is running warm in his system and Caroline can hear his voice rumble in his chest, her ear placed directly over his heart because the strong _'thump thump'_ soothes her. She immediately sits upright as any thoughts of this day possibly getting better fades away, though kicking some were-slut ass might make her feel a little better.

_"What?"_ she screeches "Who told you that?" Matt shifts on the couch, suddenly regretting having brought up the topic.

"Rebekah."

_"Rebekah?"_ Caroline quickly stands and grabs her car keys that were resting on the coffee table. "If Rebekah knows then that means Klaus knows where she is." And in a flurry she's heading for the door.

"Caroline, wait. Where are you going?" Matt asks, getting off the couch and cautiously following her toward the door.

"To kill that were-slut!" Caroline shouts before slamming the door behind her.

She arrives at Klaus' mansion in record time and makes the effort to be somewhat polite and actually knocks on the door a few times but doesn't exactly wait for a response and immediately storms into the foyer shouting _"Klaus!"_ only to spot him pulling his shirt over his head as he comes down the stairs.

"Careful Love, you'll wake the neighbors," Klaus says lightly as he follows her stomping feet into the living room.

"Where is she?" Caroline screams as she turns on her heel sharply almost knocking Klaus over who was standing a little too close. Klaus' brows knit together with a look of confusion.

"Who?" Klaus asks as he is once again following behind a fuming Caroline into the dining room where she suddenly stops short, spotting the still set dining room table with two place settings and candles and wine and Caroline once again turns on her heel.

_"Where is she?"_ Caroline asks sharply, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrow raised.

"If by _'she'_ you mean Hayley then I'm sorry to tell you that she has already left," Klaus says evenly as he takes a step closer. Caroline takes a deep breath, getting ready to drill Klaus for more information when she catches a scent of cheap perfume coming from none other than the Original Man-Whore himself.

"Oh. My. God." Caroline says as she inches a half step closer and once again takes a deep breath in. _"She's here!"_ Caroline can hear the blood thrumming in her ears. "I can _smell_ her on you!" Caroline begins pacing frantically around the room her hands over her mouth as she stares at him in disbelief then refuses to look at him at all.

"Caroline," Klaus starts tentatively, his hand extended as he looks at her, silently pleading for her to just _stop_ and look at him. "Please Love," he tries again causing her to suddenly stop and in a blur is standing directly in front of him, taking care not to breathe in any more of Hayley's scent, her finger jabbing into his chest.

"_No_," she chokes out, swallowing down the tears that threaten to escape. "I am not your _Love_. I will never be your _love_ Klaus."

Klaus' eyes drop down to the floor as he quietly, almost whispers _"I'm sorry." _Caroline let's out an almost evil cackle as she circles around him then starts heading for the door.

"You know, I've had a pretty shitty day Klaus, and when I found out that Hayley decided to start sniffing her mutt face around town again I thought, '_Hey_ here's a way I can let out my frustrations and even the score for the time she _snapped_ my neck' but it seems that she's already sold her soul to the Devil and her body to the Spawn so instead I'm going to just sit back and watch her dig her own fucking grave." Klaus doesn't speak, just looks at her almost desperately as Caroline glares at him then turns for the door. "Goodbye Klaus."

She arrives back at the boarding house and Stefan is already in bed. She doesn't bother turning the lights on, just wanders up the stairs in the dark and silently climbs onto his bed, laying on top of the comforters and curling into him. She feels his fingers interlace with hers and lightly she places a kiss on the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry Caroline," he says softly, squeezing her hand in his.

"Worst. Day. Ever," Caroline says then smiles when she hears Stefan chuckle.


End file.
